People often ask me (and wife Brooks) why we moved to New Zealand.

Two reports in today’s NY Times provide a hint …

The first says that, for the first time in two decades of polling, a majority of Americans (52%) now say it is more important to protect gun ownership rights, while 46% say the priority should be controlled access to firearms. In 2000, only 29% chose gun rights over gun control.

The second says that 50% of Americans now believe that torture of terrorism suspects can ‘often or sometimes’ be justified. In 2005, this percentage was 38%.

Not auspicious trends.

Meantime, the hottest ‘education’ topic in the US news is campus rape and the hottest environmental issue is fracking.

I guess those might be considered reasons for leaving the US, rather than for choosing NZ.

As for that, one important reason was that we thought NZ was ‘clean and green’.

We like to think we still have some ability to influence that.

Tom Belford

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  1. Goodonyou, Tom (et al), for your independent and always reasoned and pro bono views.

    Gun and car culture – and the still touted need to be ‘exceptional’ – I guess it’s just because we’re small we find these things unusual, dysfunctional – right?

    Any theories as to why the people are so stuck in the circular thinking of defence against increasing insecurity … and fundamentalist in certain policy areas. (Mind you, did you read the last sentence in yesterday’s NZH editorial).

    Seems Crash the movie still has something to say.

    Love your work,

    PS Any chance of redefining ‘lame duck’ for last two years of term two of presidency as internal reform years? The ‘eagle view’ years for a bit of needed systemic policy sell!

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